Leave The Pieces
by enchanted-nova
Summary: Seven years have passed since the Fourth Shinobi War, and Ino has decided to step down from the life of a shinobi. However when a string of murders occur, Shikamaru tries to convince Ino to help them find the culprit. Full Summary inside! THIS STORY HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY ROSE DUCHESS!
1. Preface

**Author's** **Note**: Hello there my lovely readers! Perhaps you are here because of the discontinued story **Everything Has Changed**. This is the rewritten and revised version of that story and it is also going to be structured better and just a more solid piece all around. I understand that some of you may be upset with this change, but I hope you will give this story a chance. So please enjoy this story!

**Summary:** After the Fourth Shinobi World War, Ino had decided to give up her life as a shinobi. She had seen enough death and bloodshed, and no longer wanted to be apart of it. Seven years have passed since the war, and Ino is now living a quiet life helping her mother with the flower shop and helping out at the hospital from time to time. She has stopped talking with her previous teammates, but all that is about to change. There has been a line of murders happening across the Fire Region, and Ino's skills as a mind walker are needed in order to capture this villain. Shikamaru tries to remind Ino of the importance of being a shinobi and during their short times together, feeling begin to emerge, however the enemy will do everything to tear them apart.

**Pairings:** InoxShikamaru, NarutoxSakura, SasukexHinata, and other minor pairings.

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**PREFACE**

"I want you to talk to her," Ibiki explained as he sat down in his big leather chair. Shikamaru Nara studied the scar-faced interrogator and sighed heavily. He knew that he would regret having lunch with Ibiki. The twenty-three year old genius placed his hands on his hips. "You've always been good at talking to her."

"Ibiki," Shikamaru began, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ino made up her mind, you can't change that." The pineapple head stared at the leader of the Interrogation Unit. After the war and the loss of her father, Ino Yamanaka had taken a small break from being a shinobi and worked mainly at the hospital and her parent's flower shop. As it was Shikamaru rarely saw the blonde mind walker. He hadn't even spoken to her in almost a year. It was never intentional, but she had put her shinobi days behind her, making it had for him to see her. He'd even tried to convince her to reconsider, but she refused.

"I know," Ibiki said, lacing his gloved fingers together. "But you can."

Shikamaru rolled his brown eyes. "I haven't even spoken to Ino in over a year, I mean I might have seen her through a foggy window five months ago, but that's it." The lazy genius shrugged his shoulders and stood patiently, waiting for Ibiki's come back.

"Take this as a mission," Ibiki said with a wave of his hand.

Shikamaru scowled. "Why do you need her so badly? You have many skilled shinobi in the Interrogation Unit." He narrowed his eyes at Ibiki, who leaned back in his chair and huffed.

"That's classified," Ibiki replied.

"Then find someone else to help you, cause I certainly won't," Shikamaru said in the politest way possible. The thing was, Shikamaru wasn't under Ibiki, they were equal level subordinates now. Normally Shikamaru wouldn't refuse, but he also wasn't about to get Ino into something she didn't want to do. He didn't have to talk to her to know she would refuse. The Chief Tactician of the Leaf turned on his heels and went for the door. "I'm sorry, Ibiki."

"There's been a line of murders," Ibiki spoke out just before Shikamaru pulled the door open. He slowly turned to look at Ibiki, who began to rub his temples in frustration. "They've happened all across the Fire Region."

Shikamaru raised a brow. "What does this have to do with Ino?" While the two of them might have not exactly been friends anymore, Shikamaru still did care about her. He would never admit it out loud, but he missed her company from time to time.

"This murderer goes after the same targets," Ibiki explained, causing Shikamaru to furrow his brows. "Young women who are single."

"That's hardly a correlation," Shikamaru pointed out with a shake of his head. "You need more than that."

"It isn't much, but we do have more information. As I said this is classified, and I think Ino would be perfect to lead this investigation," Ibiki paused for a moment, "if we can get her to take on the mission that is."

"You'll need something more conclusive," Shikamaru told Ibiki firmly. "Young women who are single? There are hundreds of young single women who live in the Fire Region."

Ibiki was getting tired of pushing, so he decided he would put and end to the conversation. "Look, just try. That's all I ask."


	2. Ino

**Author's** **Note**: Hey there my lovely readers! I just wanted to thank you all for reading the Preface and thanks to those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed! It means a lot to me, so here is the first official chapter. Hopefully I will have another one up soon!

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**INO**

She hummed a little tune as she poured water over the colorful daisies and poppy flowers in the green house. She spun around on her heels, blonde hair flying behind her and dress swirling at her knees. It was a beautiful spring day, and she was enjoying every minute of it. The greenhouse was blooming beautifully with color and delightful fresh scents. Seven years ago, the war had ended, and Ino Yamanaka had decided to step down from the life of a shinobi. At first she had said it was a mere temporary break, but weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. She still contributed as a medic from time to time, but she refused to take on missions.

After all the plants were watered, the blue eyed girl decided she would go grab something to eat for lunch. She walked out of the greenhouse and looked up at the beaming sun. Ino closed her eyes and soaked it all in, the warmth washing over her skin. A gentle breeze blew by causing the countless wind chimes to jingle and chime in a relaxing and soothing tune. Ino smiled and made her way into the flower shop. Just as she entered through the back door, Ino looked around for her mother. Instead of her mother, she found a certain blonde Hokage-in-training looking lost and confused.

The blonde girl quietly tiptoed over to him as he looked at the displays on the shelves. "Naruto," Ino greeted, causing him to jump. "What are you doing in here?" Truthfully, Ino knew exactly why the knucklehead was in her shop, but she felt the urge to tease him anyway.

"Just...you know, looking around," Naruto said nonchalantly, or at least attempted too. He was the hero of the village and the savior of the Shinobi World. Naruto hadn't changed much at all though, he was still a goof for the most part. His heart was still pure gold, and he had really become quite handsome, many of the older shinobi said he took after his father. Ino couldn't deny that he had matured a little bit though, and he had even gotten the title of jounin a couple of years ago.

"Looking around for what? Something special and beautiful?" Ino probed with a sly smirk on her face. "Perhaps for a special and beautiful someone?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing, I think I'm just gonna go," Naruto said nervously, gesturing to the front door. Ino sighed and grabbed hold of Naruto's wrist, pulling him back. When she gave him that look that said tell me everything, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sakura's coming back from Suna. She's been there for two months, I wanted to give her something nice for when she returned." He was blushing by this point, and Ino giggled softly at his nervousness.

It was times like these that Ino loved being in the flower shop. She got to see men turn into fumbling baboons and got to hear about how much they loved that woman in their life. Sometimes, Ino wondered when she would have the chance to experience such a thing. She loved romance and sweet handwritten notes, it just warmed her up inside. There was a tin box in the back office that was full of copies from handwritten love notes. She enjoyed reading them from time to time, they always put a smile on her face. Ino brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled warmly at Naruto.

"I have the perfect thing," Ino said, waving for him to follow her towards the back of the shop. The boy in the black and orange jacket followed Ino to a table that was covered with flowers and ribbons. His blue eyes looked about the collection of flowers, and he began to wonder what Ino had planned. "If I know Sakura, she'll want something simple, but beautiful." Ino smiled at him and cleared a spot on the table.

Naruto watched as Ino pulled out a small pink and white polka dot metal bucket. First, Ino poured in some water and added a dash of powder. Naruto took a seat on one of the metal stools beside Ino and watched curiously. Under the table, there were black vases that held all kinds of flowers. Ino had gotten up and started picking a few of them and laid them all out before Naruto.

"So what would you like this bouquet to mean?" Ino inquired, glancing to Naruto.

"Uh...I don't know...what do you mean by what do I want it to mean?" Naruto questioned back, causing Ino to roll her eyes and chuckle.

"Naruto, flowers have a language," Ino explained as she reached for a simple silk white ribbon, "The colors, the type, they all mean something."

"Oh, I see...well," Naruto paused and tapped his chin, thinking of what to make the bouquet mean. "I want it to mean...I thought about her and I...um, love her." He was staring down at the ground, and his face was bright red. Ino chuckled and nodded her head. She thought it was very sweet to see Naruto like this, normally he only had one level and that was loud and obnoxious. He was like Hinata, twiddling his thumbs, blushing, and stuttering like a love sick school boy.

"I love my job," Ino said with a smile as she reached for a few red roses. "Love," she said and placed the flowers into the little bucket. Her hands carefully reached for white and yellow zinnia and said, "thoughts of friends." She placed those around the four roses in a patterned of white, yellow, white, yellow.

Naruto looked at the arrangement for a moment and nodded, glancing up at Ino. She snapped her fingers and hopped down from the stool. As she wondered up to the front of the store, Naruto wondered what she went to grab. When Ino came back into view she held two branches covered in light pink blossoms and buds.

"Begonia branches stand for deep thoughts," Ino explained as she stuck one on the ride side and the other on the left. It was really coming together and looking beautiful, Naruto could already tell Sakura would love it. " Now we'll finish it with a few pieces of forget-me-not's and some baby's breath." Happy with the finished product, Ino grabbed the white ribbon and tied it around the bucket.

"This is great, Ino. Sakura's going to love it!" Naruto assured the slender girl beside him. Ino gave him a thumbs up and made her way to the office on the other side of the table. She walked into the office, and Naruto heard her opening and closing a few drawers. A few moments later she came back with a face white square card and a pen. "What's this for?" he asked in confusion.

"You're crazy if you think you can give her this masterpiece without a card with a nice little love note," Ino told Naruto, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I can't do that," Naruto croaked out, completely and totally nervous once again. "I mean you said the flowers meant something, so why write a card?" Naruto inquired with a nervous laugh.

Ino narrowed her eyes at him, disappointed to know he wasn't going to write Sakura a little love note. "Come on, Naruto! It's a sweet gesture."

"Aren't the flowers enough? I mean I don't even know how I'm going to give this to her," Naruto explained, gesturing to Ino's lovely bouquet. "I don't even know what to write." He shrugged his shoulders and pushed the pen and card away.

"I can handle the giving it to her," Ino said with a wink. "You, however, have to write something on the card." She pushed it back towards the Hokage-in-training and smiled, batting her lashes in a sweet girly manner. Naruto stared at the card for a moment and glanced to Ino. She nodded to him and encouraged him to write something for the pink haired medic.

"Okay," Naruto said as he signed his name. "Here."

Ino beamed brightly and looked at what Naruto had written. Her smile fell from her face, and she nearly fell over in disappointment. "From Naruto? That's all you have to say to the love of your life? She's been in Suna for two months, and she's finally returning home and all you can write on this card is...From Naruto!" Ino screeched, utterly disappointed in Naruto. She thought he would have a little bit more romance in him.

"Well, I really mean it if that counts for anything?" Naruto jested, only earning a slap on the back of his head. He yelped from the pain and rubbed the spot on his head. "I'm sorry, Ino. I just don't know what to tell her." He shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the bouquet.

"There's nothing you've wanted to say to her while she's been gone?" Ino asked with a tilt of her head. Sakura had left to help train the medical corp in Suna and now her mission was over so she could finally come home. Just before she left though, Naruto had finally managed to take her out on a real date. Supposedly it was a perfect date, in Naruto's opinion, and he was so excited that nothing could bring him down.

"I got it!" Naruto beamed as he took the card from Ino and wrote something down. He wanted Sakura to know how he felt, and this was the perfect opportunity. After he finished writing down his note, he handed it to Ino for approval.

As she read over the note, she smiled and clapped. "This is more like it," Ino acknowledged, patting him on the back. "I'll deliver it to her tomorrow during her break." She stuck the card onto a plastic stand in the bucket.

"Thanks for your help, Ino," Naruto said as they ventured up to the cash register so she could ring him up. "I'm kinda nervous about this," he admitted with a laugh.

"Don't be, she's going to love it," Ino assured him with a wink. She walked around the counter and gave him a quick hug. He hugged her back and thanked her once more as they pulled apart. "Thank me again after you get laid," Ino laughed, nudging Naruto in the ribs.

He turned bright red and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Naruto had no idea Ino would be so forward about his sexual encounters with her best friend.

"Ahem! I hate to ruin the moment, but the Fifth is furious," Sasuke Uchiha said, walking over to the two. He had his hands shoved into his pockets of his pants and wore a bored expression on his face. The two turned to look at the dark haired shinobi. "Come on, Naruto, I'm tired of being yelled at." Sasuke flicked his dark hair from his equally coal colored eyes and made his way out of the shop.

After the war, Sasuke had come back to the village, but not without being chastised. Despite the fact that he helped defeat Obito and Madara, people didn't trust him. They treated him like a leper and wanted him banished from the village forever. He was under a lot of scrutiny the first two years of his return, Lady Tsunade had him under constant surveillance. ANBU guards watched him twenty-four/seven for two years. When people started to calm down a bit, Naruto and Sakura were able to rebuild their friendship with him and after another year it was like he had never left. Lady Tsunade still had to make sure Sasuke would not betray the Leaf again, so she put him under house arrest for another year. After that year was up, Kakashi and Naruto began to train with him. Then after five years of constantly being watched and hated on, Tsunade gave Sasuke a chance to prove himself.

Her deal was that if he could help Naruto and protect him during his time of training as a Hokage, she would reinstate him as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. She made that deal with him two years ago. Ino didn't really know what became of it, all she knew was that Sasuke was technically baby sitting Naruto.

"I guess I better go, Sasuke gets cranky when he's yelled at," Naruto chuckled as they made their way up to the front. When they reached the front door, Ino froze as she looked through the window. "Something wrong?" Naruto asked, noticing Ino's sudden mood change and the color fading from her face. He furrowed his brows and looked out the window, noticing that Sasuke was talking to Shikamaru Nara.

"I'll see you later, Naruto," Ino said and cleared her throat.

"Wait a second," Naruto said as she turned her back to him. "Don't you want to say hi, he is your teammate."

"My ex-teammate," Ino replied and walked to the back of the shop, leaving Naruto up front with a frown.


	3. Shikamaru

**Author's** **Note**: Hello everyone! Thanks for all the lovely comments, I'm glad you are liking it so far. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well.

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**SHIKAMARU**

He was really dreading going into the flower shop. She wasn't going to change her mind, and he certainly would be able to get her too. His brown eyes found the shop at the end of the street. Subconsciously, Shikamaru slowed his pace and tried to think of a reasonable excuse not to talk to Ino. He knew she would be mad at him. Not that he could blame her, he did just stop talking to her. It wasn't on purpose, but Ino wouldn't believe him.

The front door of the shop came open, and Shikamaru stopped upon seeing Sasuke Uchiha. He raised a brow and walked forth to greet the broody gentleman. "Not exactly the first place I'd expect to find you," Shikamaru spoke out, gaining the Uchiha's attention. "Unless you are here on official business." The pineapple head stopped and smiled weakly.

Sasuke snorted and glanced at the flower shop. "I'm only here to take Naruto back to the Hokage," the raven haired man spoke. He was clad in all black attire, simple and clean. "The real question is: why are you here?" The Uchiha crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Shikamaru. It was obvious that Sasuke hadn't become very humble in the past seven years-he still had a superiority complex.

"I'm here to see, Ino," Shikamaru explained. "It pertains to a mission."

"Hasn't she stepped down from being a shinobi?" Sasuke inquired with a raised brow.

Shikamaru sighed and nodded his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Which is why this is all troublesome. Despite the circumstances, Ino won't change her mind." The genius shrugged his shoulders and glanced over at the door, seeing Ino and Naruto standing there. He looked away quickly and heard Naruto walk out.

"Circumstances?" Sasuke repeated curiously.

"There's an investigation going on about a serial killer," Shikamaru explained simply. "They want Ino to lead it."

"You're talking about the disappearances," Naruto said as he approached the two. "There have only been two bodies found, but four are still missing. Granny was looking over that case file the other day, I took a look at it." The blond, shoved his hands into the pockets of his orange blazer and looked at Shikamaru.

"Oh good, more inconclusive facts," Shikamaru grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you know anything else?"

"No, sorry," Naruto replied with a shrug. "What's going on?"

"Ibiki wants Ino to lead the investigation on this killer," Shikamaru informed and looked back at the flower shop. The window displays were vibrant and beautiful with a myriad of colors. It was always nice to come by during the spring, the shop always seemed brighter during that time. "I doubt she'll accept."

"She seems happy with the way things are now," Naruto said. "Good luck." The blond clapped the genius on the shoulder and looked at Sasuke. The two said their goodbyes to Shikamaru and made their way to the Hokage's Tower. As Shikamaru stood outside the shop alone, he sighed heavily. He knew this was not going to be easy, but standing around outside was getting him nowhere.

When Shikamaru walked into the flower shop, he stood by the door for a moment. His eyes scanned the displays, shelves, and hanging plants. The shop hadn't changed at all in a year, it was still warm and vibrant. No one seemed to be inside, which relieved him in a way. Shikamaru was pretty sure Ino would yell at him and force him to leave, he didn't want an audience for that. He made his way over to the cash register towards the back of the shop.

"Ino?" Shikamaru called out, looking around the counter towards the office space. There was no answer, so he walked over to the office and poked his head. "Hello?" No one was inside, so he backed out and looked to the sliding glass door that lead out to the green house. He swallowed and pushed the door open carefully before stepping onto the porch. It was covered in vining flowers and decorated with hanging baskets overflowing with emerald green vines and leaves.

Shikamaru walked over to the porch steps and just when he was about to walk down them, he stopped. Ino had walked out of the green house and looked up at him. An awkward silence filled the air, and Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Hi, Ino."

"Get out," Ino snapped back at him.

He blinked a few times and looked down at the ground. "Ino, I need to talk to you about something," he tried, but Ino just shook her head. "Just five minutes, please."

The blonde stared at Shikamaru for a moment. Her blue eyes drifted down to the green grass beneath her sandal covered feet. She really didn't want to talk to him, she knew why he'd come. It was for official business, Ibiki had already tried a week ago. Ino knew he'd send Shikamaru, the one person who stood any sort of chance it getting her to think. They were teammates before, they knew each other very well. Sometimes, Ino thought Shikamaru and Chouji knew her better than she knew herself. She doubted that was true now though, both of them had disappeared out of her life over a year ago.

"Ibiki already talked to me, my answer is still no." Ino shrugged her shoulders.

"I know," Shikamaru replied and started walking down the porch steps. When he was standing a few steps away from her, he looked at her. He really looked at her and could see that she was upset with his presence. She was beautiful like always, her skin was flawless, her hair long and silky, and her eyes still burned with passion. "But you could potentially capture this killer and put an end to it all."

"So can several other shinobi, I'm not needed," Ino replied shortly. "I've made up my mind. Now leave."

"Ino," Shikamaru sighed softly.

"How dare you even come here and ask me to do this," Ino growled, and Shikamaru looked down at the ground in shame. She had a point, he had no right to just stroll on it like nothing happened. For the past year he hadn't spoken a word to her, they weren't apart of each other's lives anymore. "We're not friends anymore, Shikamaru."

Those words hurt him. It felt like a kunai knife pierced right through his chest. While Ino was speaking the truth, and he knew it, when it was put out there it crushed him. The blonde sighed heavily and walked around him, heading back into the flower shop.

"Ino, wait a second," Shikamaru said, but he only got the slamming of the door as a reply. He bit his lip and cursed under his breath. Needless to say, the whole situation had been much worse than he thought it would be. He expected her to yell, maybe cry, but instead she shut him out and walked away. And that hurt much worse.

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**-xXx-**

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He knocked on the door and entered upon allowance. As he stepped into the room, he bowed slightly to the Hokage. She looked at Shikamaru and rested her elbows on her desk. For once her desk was clear of papers, but Shikamaru was sure she had dumped it all onto Naruto. The busty blond hadn't aged much at all, Shikamaru chucked all that up to her jutsu though. He came closer to her desk and laid the manila folder before her.

"I take it she refused," Tsunade said as she grabbed the file.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied with a nod. "I am going to tell Ibiki, but I'm going to ask that you and Ibiki, leave Ino alone. She's happy, and we have no right to ask for her help." Maybe it was because he cared about Ino that he asked this, but in reality the village had every right to ask Ino to help. After the death of her father, Ino was technically head of the clan. Her father wasn't the only one she lost though, Ino lost several of her clan members. To his knowledge, there were only five members to the Yamanaka Clan including Ino.

"Shikamaru," Tsunade began, "I understand your concern. She is your former teammate. If Ino doesn't accept this mission though, I will be forced to use her younger cousin, Chizuru." The Hokage leaned back in her seat, and Shikamaru appeared shocked.

"Chizuru is only a genin. She's fourteen years old, you can't possibly be thinking of giving her such an assignment," Shikamaru protested. He had met Chizuru a couple of times, she was learning the Yamanaka clan's signature jutsu, but she was not ready to take on a mission like this.

"Our missing persons report has gone up one more," Tsunade explained and looked down at the desk sadly. "The longer we wait the more victims this killer gets."

"As Chief Tactician, I say this plan is weak," Shikamaru commented. He knew that Tsunade was wiser than this, but he also knew her hands were tied. They had a killer at large and they had to put a stop to him. "You're going to use this against Ino, aren't you?" Shikamaru inquired with narrowed eyes.

"Sharp as always," Tsunade replied with a weak smile. "I don't want to black mail her, but as you said Chizuru is not skilled enough, and Heisuke is currently out on a mission in the Land of Iron. Ino is our only option."

"If there's one thing I know about Ino, it's that she is stubborn," Shikamaru replied, but licked his lips. "This might be enough though, even if it is morally wrong."

"If Ino refuses," Tsunade paused and looked a bit hesitant to speak, "I will use Chizuru."

"But you just said—"

"I know," Tsunade interrupted. "However, I fear the next target will be the Feudal Lord's daughter." Tsunade laced her fingers together and leaned forward on her desk. Shikamaru remained silent and understood the predicament she was in. Despite that though, Shikamaru didn't believe they should use Chizuru. She was very much like Chouji when he was younger, gentle and kind-hearted, barely had what it took to be a shinobi. Chizuru would need to be cutthroat for a mission like this.

"Let me talk to, Ino. Let me try to convince her without black mail," Shikamaru suggested, and Tsunade looked at him. She smiled kindly and nodded once, agreeing to his suggestion. "I owe her that much." He bowed to the Hokage and quietly left the room. The truth was Shikamaru didn't know how to approach this, but he meant what he said. He owed Ino. At the end of the day, he gave up on her when she gave up on herself.

"You look stressed, Chief Tactician," a feminine voice came.

Shikamaru looked up and smirked. "What about you? Aren't you head of the Medical Corps now?"

"It's a work in progress," Sakura Haruno said with a smile. Her pink hair was a little longer now, her body a little more curvy, she had really grown into herself. "What's with the stressed out look?" Sakura asked.

"Ino," Shikamaru answered.

"I didn't know you two were speaking again," Sakura chuckled.

"Oh, we aren't," Shikamaru admitted with a sigh. "But it's a work in progress." He gave her a reassuring smile and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dark colored pants. Sakura nodded and clapped him on the shoulder.

"She may not admit it, but she does miss you…and Chouji," Sakura said, gripping the strap of her messenger bag. "She's just hurt."

Shikamaru nodded knowingly. "Any advice on how to approach this?" he questioned with a hopeful smile.

Sakura giggled and tapped her chin. "Take her out on a nice date."

Shikamaru sputtered. "A date?"

The pinkette nodded her head. "You have to start from scratch, become her friend all over again. You know, win her trust." She walked closer to Shikamaru and patted his shoulder before, heading on her way. "I have to see the Hokage, but trust me. Ino doesn't hate you, she's just hurt." With a smile, Sakura bowed slightly and walked to the Hokage's office and entered.

Shikamaru stood out in the hallway for a few moments, debating on whether he should try Sakura's advice. Ino was always the romantic type and she did love to be doted on. He let out a sigh and figured he might as well try, he had no other ideas. Besides he felt like it would be the right idea to start all over and rebuild their friendship.


	4. Friends

**Author's** **Note**: Sorry for the delay there everyone, I had lost my USB drive. Anyways, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter. More to come soon and thanks so much for all the great feedback, y'all are awesome!

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**FRIENDS**

Shikamaru sat at his desk and found himself reading reports about this supposed killer, haunting the Fire Region. He had the files of all the women he had abducted and supposedly killed. Just as Naruto had told him the other day, only two bodies had ever been found. He failed to mention one crucial part though, a bloody bag of bones had been found and among those bones was a charm bracelet. According to the files, the bracelet belonged to a nobleman's daughter. Shikamaru leaned back in his chair and read over the victims' files. He was searching for keys points, but nothing seemed to be connected.

Someone knocked on the door, causing Shikamaru to close the files. He allowed the person to enter and relaxed when he saw it was Chouji. The jovial, stocky built shinobi, who had been his friend since they were kids sat down in the chair in front of Shikamaru's desk.

"Back from your mission already," Shikamaru said in surprise. Chouji had been sent on an escort mission for a caravan and was supposed to be gone for a month. "Must have been smooth sailing."

"It was, but it helped having Hinata and Kiba there," Chouji admitted with a chuckle. "So I hear that you're trying to get Ino back into the shinobi life."

"I am," Shikamaru confirmed with a nod. He licked his lips and looked at Chouji, who gave him a skeptical look. "Yes, I am aware it won't be easy." The stocky built shinobi nodded his head.

"Why don't I come along?" Chouji suggested. "Team Ten could us a reunion."

"Be prepared for hostility if you do," Shikamaru chuckled, and Chouji waved the matter off. The genius had to admit though, having Chouji might ease Ino's anger and hesitance. At the end of the day, Chouji was too nice for anyone to really slam a door in his face. "Let's go now and get this over with."

"Oh come on," Chouji chided. "Don't be so negative about this." He stood up and placed his palms down on the desk. Shikamaru looked at Chouji and sighed, he wasn't trying to be negative, but it all seemed so troublesome to him. Ino was there friend, but she was stubborn and wouldn't give in easy. He may have owed her the benefit of the doubt, but she made it fairly clear yesterday she wasn't having any of it.

"I know, I know," Shikamaru grumbled under his breath.

"You know what will give us a definite edge?" Chouji asked with a smirk, wiggling his brows in a playful manner.

"I am not paying for it!" Shikamaru snorted with a shake of his head. He knew Ino wouldn't turn down a free lunch and shopping trip. Even if her worst enemy asked her, she would go along with it.

"You want to win her over? Come on, Shikamaru, you know Ino better than anyone I know," Chouji said, standing up straight. The lazy genius muttered a few words under his breath. He stood up and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He could afford lunch for them no problem, but he didn't want to take Ino shopping. Even with his pay raise, Ino would leave his wallet bone dry for money. "Let's go to the BBQ Joint and catch up, just like old times." Chouji started for the door, and Shikamaru followed behind. He hoped Ino was in a listening mood.

* * *

**-xXx-**

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Lady Hokage," Sasuke said as he slipped into the woman's office through the open window behind her. He walked around her desk, so that he was standing before her. When she looked up, she smiled weakly and put her pen down. The young Uchiha wondered what she wanted from him. For the past few months his only job was following Naruto around, and Sasuke had grown tired of it.

"I have a special task for you," Tsunade explained, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. Sasuke raised a brow with slight intrigue, anything would be better than babysitting Naruto in his opinion. The knucklehead never stayed in one place for too long and he was very hardheaded. "A training type of task." Tsunade looked at Sasuke and smirked, seeing that she had his full attention. Sasuke loved training, he hated doing pretty much anything else.

"Alright, Tsunade," Sasuke began, crossing his arms over his chest, "how can I help?" he inquired.

"I'm not one to doubt your skills as a shinobi," Tsunade explained, earning a confused look from Sasuke. "For the past seven years you have been monitored, but I think you deserve to be trusted. I have spoken with the village elders, and they have agreed to my plan for you." The blonde woman sat back in her chair, and Sasuke tilted his head.

"Your plan for me?" Sasuke questioned with a chuckle. "Let's hear it then."

"I have three shinobi, wishing to join the ANBU Black Ops," Tsunade began, and Sasuke could already tell what she was going to say next. "One in particular, I have my doubts on. I'm giving you three months to prepare this shinobi for testing."

"Who is this shinobi?" Sasuke inquired, letting his arms fall to his sides.

"Hinata Hyuga," Tsunade replied.

At first, Sasuke didn't believe he heard that right. Hinata Hyuga was the heiress to the Hyuga clan. She was much too gentle to be in an organization such as the ANBU Black Ops. He would admit her jutsu was formidable, even her taijutsu was polished. It didn't seem like a proper fit though, Hinata didn't belong in the ANBU forces. Had Neji survived the war, he would have made an excellent candidate for ANBU. The raven haired shinobi was at a loss though. He didn't want to refuse, but he didn't want to accept either.

"And what is your reasoning for choosing me to prepare her?" Sasuke inquired.

Tsunade stared at Sasuke. She studied his stance, his expression, and his overall aura. He wasn't nearly as cold and hard as he once was, but in her mind, Sasuke was a perfect fit for the ANBU Black Ops. He was a lot like Kakashi when he was in the ANBU, fighting constantly with his inner demons.

"Well?" Sasuke pressed, becoming impatient.

Tsunade looked away from him and gathered a stack of papers. She straightened them out and laid the neatly on the desk. "Because you are the ideal ANBU Black Op," Tsunade explained, causing Sasuke to raise a brow. "Plus, I believe it will be good for you to do something other than watch Naruto." She smiled coyly, and Sasuke snorted with an eye roll.

"That's not a good reason," Sasuke stated. "However, if this is what you wish of me, I guess I'll have to do it."

"You can refuse," Tsunade pointed out. "It just wouldn't be wise for you to do that."

Sasuke smirked. "Meaning it's an offer I can't refuse."

Tsunade chuckled lightly and leaned back in her chair. "This would be a smart move for you," she explained to him. "Earning the trust of a powerful clan? Seems like the right move." The blonde woman smiled at Sasuke and told him to think about it before making his decision.

"Why do you want me to think about it?" Sasuke inquired, genuinely confused.

"It's a big decision," Tsunade assured him. "Mess this up and you could potentially end back at square one. I suggest you find out if you are prepared to handle it."

Sasuke stared at Tsunade for a moment and nodded once. She had a very valid point, one mistake and he could have to start all over again. He didn't have time for that. Seven years had been more than enough punishment in his mind. If he hadn't proven to the village in seven years he was trustworthy, he'd probably never earn their trust again.

* * *

**-xXx-**

* * *

Ino took off her little black apron and hung it up on the hook. She walked over to the front desk where her mother was going over some inventory. "I'll be back in an hour, I'm going to make a delivery."

"Okay, be careful," her mother said with a smile. Ino nodded and walked over to the refrigerator that kept the flowers nice and cool. She reached inside for Sakura's gift and smiled brightly. Ino was positive that Sakura was going to absolutely love it. When she closed the glass door, the bells on the front door jingled. "Hello, welcome!" Ino's mother greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, Ms. Yamanaka," Chouji's voice came, causing Ino to stiffen. First she had to deal with Shikamaru and now Chouji.

"Chouji! Shikamaru!" Ino mother gasped in surprise. "It's so good to see you boys!" She walked around the counter and walked over to the two gentleman, hugging them accordingly.

Ino muttered a few curses under her breath. They were not supposed to come around, she thought she made that clear to Shikamaru. She wanted going to return to the shinobi lifestyle, it was too much for her. A long time ago it seemed like a feasible idea, but after her sensei died, her father, and over half her clan, Shikamaru's father, and all those others shinobi…she just didn't have it in her.

"Is Ino here? We were going to lunch and wanted her to come along," Chouji explained.

Ino hoped her mom would lie and say she'd left for a delivery. It wouldn't be a total lie though, she was really going. She just hadn't left yet.

"That's very nice of you boys," Ino's mother said kindly. "I believe she's getting something from the back."

Ino rolled her blue eyes and sighed in defeat. Now she had no choice, but to face them. She really didn't want too, she just wanted to take off. It was hard to be mean to her teammates, but they abandoned her! She couldn't simply forgive them like nothing happened. Ino couldn't forget that for a year neither one has so much as stopped by to say hello. They weren't friends anymore, and if Shikamaru didn't get it yesterday. She would make him understand it today, and Chouji too.

"I know you're upset, but you have to give us a chance in order for us to make it up to you," Shikamaru said, standing at the other end of the aisle. Ino looked at him for a moment before letting out a sigh. "At this point, you're being the difficult one."

Ino narrowed her eyes at Shikamaru, and she knew he was doing it on purpose. He wanted her to get mad, he wanted her to try and prove him wrong. Shikamaru was always the clever one, knowing Ino inside and out.

"It's just lunch," Shikamaru said with a shrug of his shoulders. "What will an hour long lunch do? Are you going to be so stubborn as to push away your two best friends?"

"Don't even start with that!" Ino snapped, she couldn't hold it in any longer. Shikamaru had crossed the line with that last question. She never stopped being friends with them, they did that all on their own. "You and Chouji deleted me out of your life, so why the hell should I go to lunch with you? I thought I made it clear yesterday, we are not friends!" Ino seethed.

"If you really believe that then I don't know you, Ino," Shikamaru said calmly, but still hurt by her words. He didn't realize it would hurt so much again to hear the second time. "You may have an attitude problem, you may be stubborn, and you may be ridiculous, but you would never stop being friends with us just like that." Shikamaru walked closer to her and stopped when he was one step away.

"I didn't stop being friends with you!" Ino exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. She looked up at Shikamaru and shook her head in disbelief. It was in that moment that she noticed he wasn't the boy she used to know. He had grown taller, more muscular, and much more handsome than their younger years.

"Ino just let us make this right," Shikamaru said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She felt electricity run through her.

"Shikamaru," Ino muttered. "No!" she snapped suddenly, brushing his hand from her shoulder.

"You haven't changed at all," Shikamaru said with a chuckle.

"You're still infuriating as ever!" Ino growled, shoving past him with Sakura's bouquet in hand. When she came around the corner, she stopped when she saw Chouji. "I don't want to go to lunch, leave me alone! Both of you!" With that Ino stormed out of the flower shop without a single glance back over her shoulder.

"I told you so," Shikamaru said, looking over to Chouji.

"Hey we have all day to convince her," Chouji replied. "Thank you, Ms Yamanaka. Sorry for all the commotion."

"Don't tell her I said this, but Ino needs you boys." Ms. Yamanaka smiled warmly at them and excused herself to go help another customer that just walked in.


	5. Boys

**Author's** **Note**: Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story as well as left feedback, it means a lot! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**BOYS**

"I mean can you believe them!" Ino raged as she paced back and forth before Sakura. The pinkette gave her a soft smile and nodded as her blonde best friend raved about Shikamaru and Chouji. "You're so lucky, Sakura!" Ino yipped, throwing her hands up in the air. Sakura blinked a few times as Ino plopped down on the opposite side of the table. They were alone in the nurse's lounge, Sakura was having a nice peaceful lunch when Ino waltzed in. Needless to say, Sakura wasn't expecting Ino to be this worked up.

"Listen, Ino. Shikamaru and Chouji are you're friends, don't you think you're being a little too hard on them?" Sakura asked as she munched on her salad. The blue-eyed blonde snorted and shook her head; she believed she was completely justified in her actions. "And what do you mean, I'm lucky? You are too, Chouji and Shikamaru care about you just as much as Naruto and Sasuke care about me." The pinkette shrugged her shoulders and popped a cherry tomato into her mouth.

"I think Naruto cares more, I mean hello!" Ino pointed to the lovely bouquet she and Naruto had made for Sakura. The emerald eyed nurse smiled warmly and admired the beautiful gift Naruto had made for her. "And that card! That was so sweet…granted I had to practically beat it out of him." Ino rested her chin in the palm of her hand and let out a sorrowful sigh.

"If I didn't know any better," Sakura paused, gazing at Ino suspiciously, "I'd say you were upset that one of them isn't trying to date you."

Ino's mouth fell open. She couldn't believe Sakura would say such a thing. It had nothing to do with dating or love, it just had to do with the fact that her teammates abandoned her. "It has nothing to do with that! They left me, Sakura! They just stopped talking to me, visiting, everything!" Ino slapped her hand down on the table, causing Sakura to jump in surprise.

Sakura didn't know what to tell Ino. It was obvious to everyone, but herself that she was hurt. Sakura sympathized with Ino, loosing friends was hard. When Sasuke left, Sakura was devastated, but he came back. It took a little bit of work to get back to normal, but it had happened. She wanted Ino to understand they couldn't be her friends again if she didn't let them. Nothing Sakura would say though would get Ino to calm down.

"I don't know if I can forgive them," Ino grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sakura rolled her eyes and finished the last of her salad. "You won't know until you try," she assured her friend. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Anyways, my lunch break is over, so I'll see you later. Oh, and Ino, really give them a chance. They ae your best friends."

"Were…they were my best friends," Ino corrected, and Sakura sighed. "I hope you and Naruto have a nice date tomorrow night."

The pinkette smiled and gave her friend a quick hug. "Thank you, Ino. This is beautiful." She gestured to the flowers resting in the center of the table.

"Don't thank me, it was all Naruto, I just arranged them," Ino explained with a smile. "And picked the flowers…but he told me what he wanted it to mean." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I never would have thought that Naruto and I would go out on dates," Sakura chuckled.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Ino said, nudging Sakura with her elbow. The two girls walked out of the lounge and into the main lobby of the hospital. When Ino looked out in the wait area, her shoulders sank down. "Oh great."

"What?" Sakura questioned and smiled when Chouji and Shikamaru came walking over to them. "Hello guys!" Sakura greeted cheerfully, hoping Ino would do the same.

"Hey Sakura, welcome back," Chouji greeted first.

"It's good to be back," Sakura said with a nod and glanced to Ino. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have patients to attend too. See you guys around." She waved to them and ventured off before things got ugly. The pinkette did hope that they wouldn't cause a scene, she hoped Ino would just try and forgive them.

"I have to go too," Ino told them and started walking off.

"Look," Shikamaru began, taking hold of Ino's upper arm. She jerked it away from him and glared in annoyance. "This has nothing to do with Ibiki and the mission he wants you to lead. This is about team ten."

"If you didn't get the memo, team ten is disbanded!" Ino snapped, turning on her heels. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He didn't want to do what he was about to do, but obviously Ino wasn't going to give him any other choice. His shadow stretched after her and bound her in place. "Are you kidding me? Shikamaru Nara let me go!" Ino shouted, struggling to break free.

"I know you're pissed, Ino, but stop acting like a spoiled brat cause now you'll have no one to blame but yourself if you keep pushing us away," Shikamaru stated firmly, he didn't want to play nice anymore. He tried that twice and failed twice, if the third time was going to be the charm, he'd need a more direct approach. "Chouji and I are trying, so the least you could do is let us." He released his hold on her and stared.

Chouji remained  
silent, surprised that Shikamaru had been so forceful. It wasn't like him at all, he normally couldn't be bothered. At that moment, Chouji realized that he really did care about Ino. It wasn't like he didn't know before, but in this very moment it was more apparent than ever. The lazy cloud watcher had truly surprised Chouji and by the look on Ino's face, she was surprised too.

"Okay, if it means that much to you guys," Ino paused and brushed her hair over her shoulder, "I will go to lunch with you."

"Good," Shikamaru said with a smile.

"And the best news, its Shikamaru's treat," Chouji beamed as he walked over to Ino and put his arm around her shoulder. "So name the place and we'll go."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and walked after them as they left the hospital. He didn't recall saying he'd pay for it, but it probably helped if he did.

* * *

**-xXx-**

* * *

To Ino's surprise, Shikamaru was true to his word. Not that she expected him to really lie about it, he had never been a liar. He never mentioned Ibiki or the mission or the killer, he kept his mouth shut about it. Actually, he was rather quiet the entire lunch. It would have been awkward had it not been for Chouji chiming in a few words or questions every now and then. Ino didn't want to admit it to their faces, but she was proud of both of them. They had come a long way since they were genin.

It was hard to believe that Shikamaru Nara, the laziest guy in the whole village, was the Chief Tactician of the Leaf. He was smart, he was clever, and witty. It was those qualities that drove Ino crazy. He always had some sort of come back or contradiction for her. Needless to say though, she really missed him and sitting there with him at the table, reminded her of that. He had grown up, they all had really. He wasn't that same lanky boy anymore, he was lean and nicely muscled, and was taller than she remembered.

Her blue eyes fell to Chouji, shoveling some rice into his mouth. He hadn't changed much at all. His body was still stout and a little chubby, he was taller, and he wasn't as soft as he used to be. Three years ago, Chouji had been promoted to jounin and last year he even trained a genin team for a while. Ino was happy for him, he'd come a long way since he was a genin.

"Okay, I'll admit this wasn't all bad," Ino said just before taking a sip of her tea. She closed her eyes and glanced at her two companions across from her. "Maybe I can forgive you guys." She shrugged her shoulders and put her cup onto the table.

"Maybe? That's all we get?" Chouji asked with a laugh. "You can just admit you missed us."

Ino stared at him for a moment and rolled her eyes. "Let's not get carried away now," she said with a slight hint of sarcasm.

"Hear that, Shikamaru?" Chouji asked, nudging the pineapple head with his elbow. "She really did miss us."

"I didn't say that!" Ino snapped, growing annoyed.

Shikamaru looked at Ino. He really looked at her, reading her expressions and movements. She was a little fidgety, and she was looking everywhere except for them. The genius smiled warmly and shook his head. She was being her classical stubborn self. He couldn't believe he was thinking it, but he actually missed her attitude. It was always entertaining to him, no matter how annoying.

"Okay, don't get all upset," Chouji said, waving the matter off. "I'm just glad you decided to come along." He gave her a genuine smile, and Ino sighed lightly before smiling back at him.

"There it is," Shikamaru finally spoke up, causing both of his friends to look at him. "An actual smile, not a forced one." He leaned back in his seat and nodded to Ino, who bit her lip and looked away.

"Don't get excited," Ino told him, rolling her eyes.

Shikamaru stifled a laugh, and waved their waitress over for the check. "I don't think it's right to deny Chouji and myself the pleasure of knowing you gave us a genuine smile."

Ino nearly blushed, but she remained stubborn and refused to do so. There was no way she was going to let them win that easily. She wanted them to work for it. Although, Ino could tell that if things kept going as they had over lunch, she would lose this battle.

"Well, I have to get going you two," Chouji said suddenly. "I have a report to finish for Lady Tsunade." He stood up from his seat and looked at his two friends.

"I should head back to the shop myself," Ino chimed in as she stood up. "My mom probably needs my help." She flattened out the skirt of her dress and smiled weakly at them.

Shikamaru just nodded and stood up as well. They all started walking towards the front entrance of the tea house. When they were outside, Chouji said his goodbyes and headed off towards the Hokage's Tower. Ino and Shikamaru remained outside together, looking awkward and bashful as ever. Shikamaru wasn't sure what to say, and Ino didn't really want to say anything.

"I'm off for the next three days starting tomorrow," Shikamaru said, breaking the silence between them. "How about we get together? Get some drinks." He shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jounin vest.

"Yeah," Ino said, almost surprised with herself. "A drink would be nice."

Shikamaru smiled. "Great, Saturday night at seven? I'll pick you up."


	6. IMPORTANT NOTICE! STORY ADOPTED!

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!**

Hello dear readers,

I apologize again for having to give up on this story, but I did put it up for adoption. I am happy to announce that I have found someone to adopt this story! So it will be continued by them instead of me, of course I will leave the first five chapters here, however they will be posting it on there own profile for those of you who wish to continue reading the story from a different author's perspective.

I am sorry about all this, but I have complete faith in the new author to bring this story to justice.

If you are interested in reading on with this story be sure to check out: **Rose Duchess**. She will now be taking over the story, and I wish her the best of luck in it.

Thank you all for supporting me with this story, I'm sorry I couldn't bring it to completion.

I hope you will read some of my others stories though.

Thanks everyone!


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